Maybe it’s a coincidence, but I hope it is much more than that. I sat down to write my weekly “From the Rabbis Desk,” but procrastinated for a moment to see what Rabbi Broide wrote about in his outreach column. Low and behold the same thing is on both of our minds and likely on the minds of all of the members of the BRS professional team. Despite the growing challenges in the world around us with rockets falling in Israel and the stock market falling in America and many other difficulties, we feel from the bottom of our hearts that this is going to be the best year ever.

The famous architect Frank Lloyd Wright designed many beautiful buildings, homes and other magnificent structures. Toward the end of his career, a reporter asked him, “Of your many beautiful designs, which one is your favorite?” Without missing a beat, Frank Lloyd Wright answered, “My next one.” If we focus too much on the challenges, the obstacles and the problems, we will become paralyzed, apathetic and stagnant. The challenge in life is to be firmly rooted in realism, but inspired by a healthy dose of optimism. Like Frank Lloyd Wright, one must always believe that the best is yet to come in our marriages, parenting, spiritual ambitions, professional aspirations, health consciousness, and more.

The BRS team has been hard at work this summer planning an amazing year ahead. Our brand new, state of the art website will be fully functional within a few weeks allowing you access to everything you want to know about BRS in addition to a member section to pay your bills, sponsor a siddur, make a donation, etc. As Rabbi Broide writes, we are working hard to expand our outreach efforts to bring the beauty of our Torah to thousands around us, and to bring the beauty that those thousands have to offer, to our community. Our Welcome Committee, Chessed Committee, and Hospitality Committees have come up with innovative new ideas to encourage participation in their critical work.

We eagerly look forward to welcoming fantastic scholars in residence this year including Nobel Prize winner Professor Yisroel Auman, Award winning actress Mayim Bialik, Rabbi Daniel Gordis, Charlie Harary and many others. This Elul we will be launching our ‘Giving is Getting’ initiative including service learning trips throughout the year and disaster relief work if God forbid necessary. Under the leadership of the dynamic Rabbi Uri and Aliza Pilochowski, our youth and teen departments have incredible new programs planned.

With all of the challenges, rest assured that there is a lot to look forward to at BRS in this coming year. With your help, partnership and support, I am fully confident that together the BRS community will have its’ best year ever!